Females Don’t Dare Pray At Our Wall

It is quite common for Western media to depict Muslim nations as hostile to female rights because women must wear certain clothes or not be allowed in a mosque to pray with men. Ten women, including two American rabbis, were arrested by Israel police for daring to pray at the Western Wall in Jerusalem while wearing prayer shawls traditionally used by men. The group is known as Women of the Wall. They are protesting against Ultra Orthodox Jews who insist only men may pray at the Western Wall while wearing traditional garb.

The women were not charged with a criminal offence but ordered not to return to the Wall for at least fifteen days, and if they return it had better be without a shawl. Susan Silverman, a Reform rabbi commented: “it’s just utterly absurd that there are laws against Jews wearing prayer shawls.